PRINCESS ANNE, Maryland — On Saturday (Feb. 26) at home against Coppin State, the University of Maryland Eastern Shore was looking to put an earlier season loss in Baltimore in the rear view mirror.
A 21-11 advantage in the second quarter — when sophomore Zamara Haynes (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) posted 10 of her 12 first-half points — sent the Hawks on the road to victory. A team total of 63 rebounds kept them in the right lane. And some late-game scoring by Mya Thomas (Chesapeake, Virginia) took them to the finish line in a 60-51 victory.
"I thought Za gave us a really good first half and then in the second half I thought Mya stepped up and played big," head coach Fred Batchelor said. "I thought our post play was also really strong rebounding the basketball. And I thought we played tough. That is what we wanted to do. We wanted to be the toughest team on the floor today and knock down some shots.
"We did what we needed to do today, and I'm really proud of them after what we experienced playing them the last time."
The Hawks (9-14, 5-6 MEAC) entered the second half with a 30-22 lead, but by the 5:04 mark of the third quarter, Coppin had tied the game at 34-34 after a turnover by Mya Thomas.
The Eagles (14-10, 8-3 MEAC) actually took the lead back on a Jewel Watkins layup with 3:57 left in the quarter, but Mya Thomas answered, tying the score back up with a jumper. Lesley Thomas (Browns Summit, North Carolina) scored in the lane to put the Hawks back on top and Angelique Taylor (Wachapreague, Virginia) hit a free throw to make it 39-36 with 2:14 to go in the third.
Mya Thomas then scored the team's next two buckets to make it 43-36 heading into the fourth.
"In the beginning I felt a little tired from missing four games, but in the second half I started getting going and feeling it a little more," Mya Thomas said. "I had to get back used to it. My teammates gave me the energy they were scoring and pumping me up and I was just finding open spots and finding shots."
Mya Thomas buried the first two baskets of the fourth for the Hawks to maintain the momentum and give them a 47-41 advantage with 6:41 to go.
The Eagles clawed back within two again (47-45) with 5:35 left, but Amanda Carney (Old Bridge, New Jersey), Ariana Seawell (Bronx, New York) and Brooklyn Bailey (Rock Hill, South Carolina) closed out the game for The Shore.
Bailey had eight points in those closing minutes including back-to-back threes (3:28, 3:05), while Carney chipped in four points and Seawell a free throw.
"We are finding a way," Batchelor said. "We want to defend and go from there. To get 41 bench points is kind of unheard of. It is good that we were able to get to that and I was impressed that we were able to hold them to 51. They average 64 points a game, so I was pleased with our defense."
Bailey led the Hawks in scoring with 15 points, a rebound and an assist in 24 minutes. Haynes finished the game with 12 points, three rebounds and a pair of assists.
Thomas posted 12 points and pulled down 10 boards — despite her 5-foot-5 frame — coming away with the unlikely double-double and added four assists.
"At first, my shot wasn't really falling, so I had to find a different way to contribute," Mya Thomas said. "The ball was just coming to me."
Bairesha Gill-Miles (Lexington, Kentucky) pulled down nine rebounds, while Mahogany Lester (Virginia Beach, Virginia) and Taylor had seven boards and Japria Grady (Washington, D.C.) had a career-high six in 10 minutes.
Eastern Shore travels to Morgan State on Monday for a 5:30 p.m. matchup.
